World number one Rory McIlroy missed the cut at the Players Championship after shooting a four-over-par 76 in Friday’s second round which ended with a trio of Americans sharing the lead.
Zach Johnson, Kevin Na and Matt Kuchar were knotted at eight-under 136, a shot clear of compatriot Harris English. But with five players sitting a further stroke adrift and the course likely to get tougher over the weekend, the event widely known as golf’s unofficial fifth major remains wide open.
One player who will not be able to make a move on Saturday is McIlroy, who has had a miserable record at the TPC Sawgrass course where he also missed the cut in his previous two appearances at the venue before skipping the event last year. The Northern Irishman, who had not missed a cut since last year’s Wells Fargo Championship, carded five bogeys and one birdie on Friday for a two-day total of 148.
“There is something about this place I just can’t get to grips with,” McIlroy told reporters. “I just need to try and get the hang of this golf course somehow, it’s just – I find it pretty difficult but it’s just one of those weeks.” Woods had to fight to avoid missing successive cuts for the first time in his professional career after shooting a 74 in his opening round.
The former world number one, who failed to make the weekend at Quail Hollow last week, rose to the challenge by posting a 68 that included a string of four birdies around the turn that put him clear of trouble. “I probably could have gotten one or two more out of it but I really played well today. I was just very consistent and nothing spectacular, just real solid golf,” said the 14-times major champion. It was a fair description of a round which leaves Woods six shots off the lead in a tournament he won in 2001.
